Sealing device



March 29,1949. w. M. BROOKS 2,465,349

' SEALING DEVICE I FiIed'Fe b. '55,.1948

12f air M Patented Mar. 29, 1949 UNITED STATES PATENT QFFICE SEALING DEVICE Application February 3, 1948, Serial No. 5,935

1 Claim. 292-310) This invention relates to sealing devices and is an improvement on the one shown in Letters Patent No. 1,847,552.

It is impossible to prevent sealing devices of this character from being opened; it is only possible to so construct the parts that the seal will reveal that it has been tampered with, and the main object and feature of this invention is to provide means whereby it will be rendered more diificult than heretofore to tamper with the seal without leaving tell-tale evidence thereof.

In the accompanying drawings, the invention is disclosed in a concrete and preferred form, in which:

Figure 1 is a plan view of the seal blank before bending the end portions over the main portion;

Figure 2 is an edge view of the seal blank looking in the direction of arrow 2 of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a view similar to Figure 1 but showing one of the end portions bent over the main portion;

Figure 4 is a view similar to Figure 3, but showing the other end portion bent over the first-mentioned end portion; and

Figures 5, 6 and 7 are sectional views substantially 0n the plane of line .r.'1: of Figure 4, showing various stages of opening the seal by unbending the second-mentioned end portion.

In indicates a main central portion having upstanding side flanges II and provided at one end with two spaced-apart prongs I2. l3 indicates a first end portion connected to the main portion by a neck M at that end which is opposite to the one where the two prongs l2 are located. Said end portion I3 is provided with two spaced-apart prongs I at its free outer end which are complementary to and adapted to overlie prongs l2 of main portion l0 when said first end portion I3 is bent over the main portion to hold an element to be sealed such as cord I6 (Figure 3). ll indicates a second end portion adjacent the end where the two prongs l2 of main portion ID are located, and is connected to said main portion by a neck Is that extend-s between prongs l2 of said main portion; is of substantially the same width as one of said prongs, and is adapted to be bent over first end portion l3 after the latter has been bent over main portion In (Figure 4). I9 indicates a weakened zone or scoring in said neck l8, transverse of its length, and a complementary transverse weakened zone or scoring 20 is provided on prongs l2 or I 5 or both.

It will now be understood that, the parts being in the position shown in Figure 4, if it be attempted to unbend second end portion ll, said first end portion l3 will not be released so that it can be unbent until said second end portion H has been unbent to a point such as is shown in Figure '7 where it approaches a position 180 from its initial position overlying first end portion 13. The depth of scoring of weakened zone I9 is such that, unbending of end portion [1 in excess of 90 from the position in which it overlies first end portion I 3, will cause said second end portion 11 to break off. If the person who tampers with the seal, knowing from experience that the breaking point must not be reached by unbending second end portion II, should attempt, by bending prongs l2 and IE, to minimize the extent of the unbending of second end portion ll necessary to release first end portion l3, it will be extremely difiicult to do so because there is, at that point, a double thickness of material produced by the overlying two sets of prongs. If now the tamperer should attempt to insert a tool between prong-s l2 and I5, the leverage action of said tool will cause one or more of said prongs l2 and IE to be broken 01f, thereby leaving evidence of the tampering.

I claim:

In a sheet material sealing device, a main central portion having two spaced-apart prongs at one end, a first end portion connected to said main portion by a neck at that end which is opposite to the one where the two prongs are located, said first end portion having two spaced apart prongs at its free outer end complementary to and adapted to overlie the prongs on the main portion when said first end portion is bent over the main portion, and a second end portion adjacent the end where the two prongs of the main portion are located and connected to said main portion by a neck that extends between said prongs, said neck being of substantially the same width as one of said prongs, said second end portion adapted to be bent over said first end portion after the latter has been bent over the main portion, and said neck of said second end portion, and at least some of said prongs, having complementary weakened zones transverse of their length.

WINFRED M. BROOKS.

No references cited. 

